krotz



A. S. KROTZ.

PLANTER VALVE MECHANISM.- APPLICATION FILED OCT. 15. 1918.

Patented June 10, 1919.

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1/70 I! I ////II A. S. KROTZ. PLAYNTER VALVE MECHANISM. APPLICATION mm OCT. 15. HHS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Pa tentedwhme 10, 1919.

l UnrrED STATES PATENT enrich.

ALvAno s. xnorz, F JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN, AssrGNoR tro JANESVILLE MACHINE COMPANY, or JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION or WISCONSIN.

To all tohom it may concern:

, Be itknown that I, ALvARo S. KRo'rz, a

citizen'of the United States of America, and a residentofJanesville, Wisconsin, have invented a certain-newand useful Improvement in Planter Valve Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

3 This invention relates to planting ma chines of that kind in which the seed, such as corn, is carried in the box or hopper 'providecl with dropping mechanism at the up per end-of'a so called boot'which has a runner at its lower end, and within which boot valve mechanism is provided for the purpose of controlling the dropping of the corn or other seed, into the groove formed in the ground by the runner- The object .of the invention, generally 3 stated, is to provide a novel and improved valve mechanism within the boot, adapted to. be controlled by the check-row mechanism of the planter, and constructed to operate in a noveland reliable manner, and intended to more satisfactorily control thedropping ployed for this purpose.

of the corn or other. seed than was found to belthe case with wcertainother devlces em- It 1s also anlobject to provide certain details and featuresof construction tending to increase the generail efficiency. and service} abillty of a seed-dropping valve mechanism rofcthiswparti'cular' character and mode of operation.

1 V To these otheruseful ends the invenenti partsvof the valve mechanism being shown in the boxes whichthey occupy each time two quantities ofseed are thus momen tarily held in these boxes. I

.=Fig. 2is:a similar View, but showing the different/parts of "the valve mechanism in theboxes which they occupy just after the lower quantity of seedhas been discharged into the ground, and just after the upper quantitf of seed has been allowed to fall from t e upper valve to the intermediate valve.)

Specification of Letters Patent.

PLANTER VALVE MECHANISM.

Patented J time 10, 1919.

Application filed October 15, 1918. Serial No. 258,198.

any ordinaryseed-dropping mechanism ain the bottom thereof, this mechanism being operated from the shaft 3 through the bevel gearing 4: in the usual andwell known manner. The seed-dropping mechanism: discharges theseed, suchas corn, through the opening 5 into the upper ,end of the boot 6, which latter is of any suitable or ordinary form, provided at its :lower end with the usual runner 7 which cuts the furrow in the ground to receive the seed. 1 Within the boot aitube 8 is pivoted between its upper and lower ends at 9, so that it oscillates about a horizontal and transverse axis. The upper end of the tubeis provided with a ledge 1O which cooperates-with the upper endportion 11' of the boot to form the upper valve.

-Thelower end of the boot has a ledge 12 whichcooperates with the lower end portion of thetube-to form the lower valve, both valves being closed when the tube is in the positionshown in' Fig.1, and both valves being open when the tube is in'the position shown in Fig.2 or in the position shown in Fig. 3, in a manner that will be readily understood. An intermediate valve 13 cooperates with the portion- 14 of the tube to form a third valve, this valve moving into and out of the'tubeto control a communication betweentheupper and lower valves.

Said intermediate valve13 is provided with a downwardly extending arm 15 which is pivoted at16 upon the tube, so that said intermediate valve swings about a. horizontal and transverse axis which is parallel with the axis provided by the pivot 9, but spaced a distance therefrom, whereby the pivot16 and the axis formed thereby will rise and fall for'swing about the axis formed by the pivot 9, when the tube 8 is rocked or oscillated onthe pivot 9, the pivot 16 being suitably mounted on the back or rear slde of the tube, and 'the'latterhavinga slot 17 which is occupied by the intermediate valve 13 and its arm 15, so that this valve may swing into, and out.of the tube. For the purpose of positively opening and closing the valve 13, and as a means for positively opening the upper and lower valves formed in part by the ledges l0 and 12, a rod 18 1s pivoted on the valve 13 at 19,, andhas its other end pivoted at 20 upon the lower end of the check-row arm 21, which latteris of any suitable or ordinary form and is mounted in the usual manner upon the oscillating or check-row shaft 22 with which checkrow planters of this general; chameter are usually provided. A spring 23 is interposed between the'front side of the tube 8 and'the adjacent portion of theboot-(i, immediately above the pivot 9, so that oscillation or movement of the tube in one direction will be yieldingly opposed by said spring.

When a knot in the check-row wirestrikes the check-row arm or fork 21 the valve 13 is immediately pulled forward to close the tube 8 at this point, and as. soon as, the inner edge of the valve 13 strikes the front wall of the tube, thereby limiting the closing .movement of this valve, the tube will then oscillate 'or rockabout its pivot 9 against the yielding. pressureof the spring 22, and this willopen the upper and lower valves, as

shown in Fig. 2, thereby allowing the upperquantity of seed which was resting on permi the tube '8 to swing 'back into the position shown in Fig. 1, so, that the ledge 10 will receive the'next discharge .fromthe seed-dropping mechanism, and so that the lower valve will also be closed; and the movement of the check-row arm or fork con-- tinuing, after the tube 8 stops moving, the valve 13 will then continue moving until it occupies the position shown in Fig. 1, thus discharging its quantity of seed into the lower position .ofthe tube 8 and upon the ledge'12, whereby-the valve mechanism is again in conditionv to be operated by the check-row mechanism to discharge another quantity ofseedi into the ground.

As shown in Fig. 3, the cam or looking device 24: has been moved into, position to re-. tain the tube 8 in position for drilling, the intermediate valve 13 being retained open.

at such time. Thus the seed dropped: from theflmechanism at theupper end of the 'boot will fall constantly throughthe tube and from the lowerend thereof into the groove on small trench cut by the runner. From the foregoing, therefore, it will be seen. that the valve mechanism is adapted for either check-row planting, so that the corn or the seed will be planted inhills, or for a method 7 movable tube, but to the contrary, is'pivoted V at 25 .on the boot of the planter. Also, the tube 8 is cut away at its upper portion alon the line 26, and the'portionl t is ri id wit the upper portion oi the boot. owever,

when therod l8 ispul'led forward, the'valve 15 closes before it strikes the i'ront wall of the tube 8, and :thus the intermediate valve is closed before the; upper and lowerval ves 1 7 open; and vice versa, as in theconstruct on 7 previously described, the intermediate. valve must then open before the upperiand lower valves can close. V What I claim as my JIWBlItlOIl is l 1-. In a planter havingaboot forconnecting. the seed-dropping mechanism: above with the runner below, a. valve at-t-he upper end- 0f said .boot, a valve at: the lower end thereoii, the "two valves having their Zmovable elements rigidly connectedlftogether, to V operate in unison, an. intermediate valve, and operating devices connected to the 1n= termediate. valve tocontrol .three valves,

therebyto close said intermediate valvebe-f fore the upper and lower valves are opened,

andv to close theupper and lowermvalvesbefore the intermediate valve is opened;

2. A structure:as specified'inclaim -1 ,-"the upper and lower-valves comprising a tube, V

a pivot for said tube, ithe tube having a ledge forming part o f the-uppervalvejthe boot having. a ledge and apivot tor the intermed-late valve, one .PIVQ

distance fromthe other. r

' 3; A structure as specifiedin clai nsl and 2, the pivot for the intermediate val-vewbeing 911 the back of the. tube,land the pivot afthetubebeing at the trontthereofiwhereby the valve pivot swings about thejtube pivot, and: a spring for returning the tube totheposition "for closing the upperfand i lower valves, said: devices comprising-arod connected :to the lntermedlate value above the pivot thereof. i 3

- 4. A structure as.sp'ecifiedzinclaimh said Y upper and; lower valves-being fonmed in part'by apivoted tube, -and.-a spring applied to said tube for. simultaneously elosingthe two valves.

5. In a planter, :boothuvin'gi' an; upper valve and: a lower valvefsaid 'valives being formed in partxb'y a pivoted: tube, devices including an intermediate valve--to-. actuate the tube-in one Clire tionizt0-v open said: upper and lower valves, and aspring rappliediato the tube to close said? upper andlower valves. Y 1 'i' 6. A structure as specified in claim 5, said devices including an intermediate valve movably mounted on said tube.

7. In a planter having a boot for connecting the seed-dropping mechanism above with the runner below, the combination of an upper valve, a lower valve, an intermediate valve, and controlling mechanism whereby the intermediate valve must close before the upper and lower valves can open, and whereby said intermediate valve must open before the upper and lower valves can close, said upper and lower valves being adapted to open and close simultaneously under the control of said mechanism.

8. A structure as specified in claim 7, said upper valve comprising a movable ledge, said lower valve comprising a stationary ledge, stationary means to wipe the seed off the upper ledge,movable means to wipe the seed oft the lower ledge, the upper ledge and said movable means being rigidly connected together, said intermediate valve comprising a member pivoted to swing into and out of the pathof the seed, havin means to wipe the seed off said intermediate valve member, means engaged by said intermediate valve to cause the opening of said upper and lower valves, and a spring for closing said upper and lower valves.

9. In a planterhaving a boot for connecting the seed-dropping mechanism above with the runner below, a valve at the upper end of said boot, a valve at the lower end thereof, an intermediate valve, and operat- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the end of said ing devices connected to the intermediate valve to control all three valves, the upper and lower valves comprising a tube, a pivot for said tube, the tube having a ledge forming a part of the upper valve, the boot having a ledge and a pivot for the intermediate valve, one pivot being spaced a distance from the other.

10. In a planter having a boot for connecting the seed-dropping mechanism above with the runner below, a valve at the upper boot, a valve at the lower end thereof, an intermediate valve, ing devices connected to the intermediate valve to control all three valves, the pivot for. the intermediate valve being on the back of the tube, and the pivot of the tube being at the front thereof, whereby the valve pivot swings about the tube pivot, and a spring for returning the tube to the position for closing the upper and lower valves, said devices comprising a rod connected to the intermediate valve above the pivot thereof.

11. In a planter having a boot for cong necting the seed-dropping mechanism above with the runner below, a valve at the upper end of said boot, a valve at the lower end thereof, an intermediate valve, and operating devices connected to the intermediate valve to control all three valves, said upper and lower valves being formed in part by a pivoted tube, and a spring applied to said tube for simultaneously closing the two valves.

ALVARO S. KROTZ.

Commissioner of Patents,

Whhingtol, I). 0.

and operat- 

